German supermarket to install fast chargers

At each of the large Region Mitte stores around Frankfurt, Fastned will install its fast charging stations. Each station will have two 50kW fast chargers, with Combined Charging System (CCS) and CHAdeMO plugs.

Fastned will start building the stations in 2019, though specific timeframes depend on grid connections and location design.

Destination chargers are proving popular at supermarkets where shoppers can top up their cars while shopping. REWE’s decision to install rapid chargers is about delivering additional services to its customers, according to Michiel Langezaal, Fastned’s founder.

“Many people visit their supermarket for around 30 minutes on average. The idea is that people can charge their car in that period. The faster, the better because then the battery will be full again, depending on EV model of course and battery size,” he says.

Expansion

Based on data and experience drawn from stations Fastned has already built, each site needs around 20-40 visitors daily to be profitable. If usage levels are sufficient, the pilot with REWE will be expanded to other locations.

The stations will use electricity that is 100% certified from clean sources.

Credit: Fastned

Fastned started off building fast charging stations at locations on motorways in the Netherlands, before installing its first urban fast charging stations in The Hague.

The company is expanding its network to other locations in Europe, including Belgium and the UK, in addition to Germany. To date the company has built 77 operational fast charging stations, with a total of 15 under construction in Germany, not including the four with REWE.

The company is also rolling out next generation fast chargers at some sites, which allows electric cars to charge up to 175kW and even 350kW.